And Some Things Do
by Lyria Padfoot
Summary: Fresh out of his fifth year, Severus Snape walks into an inn for the summer, and his life will never quite be the same... Cowritten with LupusDragon.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: By the way, in case you hadn't heard, Harry Potter and friends don't belong to us.  (Lyria was devised by Lyria Padfoot, however.)  Don't sue, we make no money.  Oh yes, and send feedback, please?

Early in the afternoon, a thin, pale boy stood in front of the doors of the Broken Wand in Hogsmeade.  Severus Snape was a little apprehensive about spending his first summer on his own, but anything would be better than another two months as a burden to his family.  With some trepidation, he approached the entrance.  Inhaling deeply, he pulled open the door and crossed the threshold, not knowing how much his life would be changing.

 Lyria MacLaren looked up as the door opened.  Oh no... someone from school... and from her house, at that.  Well, there was nothing for it.  The inn was, for all intents and purposes, her responsibility now, and she'd best handle business.  "Hello, Severus.""Lyria!" Severus was surprised to see his housemate at the inn.  He had not realized that her family owned the establishment.  He assumed, reasonably, that Lyria helped one of her brothers run the Broken Wand.  He frowned thoughtfully, wondering if perhaps it would not be better to stay elsewhere.  However, he was here now and he would just have to make the most of it.  "I'd like to rent a room for the summer," he requested in a voice that betrayed his nervousness, despite his best attempt to hide it. "Well, welcome."  She smiled, but it was not a genuine smile.  It was the professional smile that she'd learned from helping out around the place.  "Come on upstairs.""Thank you," he responded softly.  Adjusting his small bag, which contained his few personal possessions along with his shrunken trunk of school supplies, Severus followed Lyria to the room that he would be inhabiting."If you need anything just let me or my brothers know... if they're around."Severus nodded.  "Yes, of course. Is there anything that I need to know, rules and such?""Not really.  The top floor's off limits, is all, because that's where we live.  Unless it's a late night emergency.""Very well," he responded.  A light blush stained his sallow cheeks as he looked down at the floor.  "Is there any work that I could do?" He looked quickly up at Lyria before turning his eyes back to his shoes.  "To... um... help offset the cost of room and board?""Absolutely," she replied.  "There's always plenty to do... I'll find something suitable for you to do and let you know in the morning."Breathing a small sigh of relief, Severus nodded his thanks, then set about getting his room in order.  Though it had not been a particularly long day, he was feeling worn-out.  He just wanted to straighten up and relax.Lyria made her way back downstairs.  It was strange, for her two worlds to collide like this.  People from school had come to the inn on occasion, but never anyone from her house in her year.  She didn't much want to fuss around with balancing the two worlds... not right now, with everything else...  
  
"Lyri, Mrs. Cooper's toddler made a mess in room sixteen, and dinner starts in an hour," Dylan told her by way of greeting.  
  
Lyria cursed under her breath and went back upstairs.

Severus heard the thumping of feet up the stairs.  Sighing deeply to himself, he opened the door, wondering what was going on.  What he saw was a rather annoyed Lyria stalking toward the room two doors down from his own.  
   
Lyria pulled open the door and made a face.  Saying the toddler made a mess had been awfully generous... she was glad Mrs. Cooper was out.

The Slytherin boy had a naturally inquisitive mind and in this instance, curiosity got the better of him.  He crept silently from his room and stood behind his classmate as she surveyed the war zone that was room sixteen.  Had he seen her expression he would have laughed at how closely his owned mirrored it."If I ever have kids, I'm teaching them to behave themselves..."  She knelt to wipe up a spill of something while she muttered to herself.He chuckled softly at her vow to the fates.  "If you figure out how to do that, you should write a book."  Taking a rag from the bucket she had set in the doorway, Severus walked past her and began to clean as well."My parents seemed to manage alright," Lyria replied, but there was just a hint of a smile on her face.  "Honestly, wait until you see this brat, he's horrible.""Is he spoiled?" he asked as he righted over turned furniture.  He wrinkled his nose at an unidentifiable spot before bending to scrub it out of the upholstery."Disgustingly spoiled.  I've never heard his mother tell him no, and she's in here with him a lot."Severus nodded.  He sounded like Lucius or Potter and Severus said so. "Give him a few years," Lyria agreed.  She tossed the last of the scattered toys into the open trunk and looked around.  "Thanks for the help."He shrugged nonchalantly.  "It was nothing, really."  He dropped the rag back into the bucket and smiled at Lyria.  "Any time you need help with something like that, I can do it."She smiled.  "Don't offer that, you'll wind up spending the rest of your summer with me trying to keep order around here."  She picked up the bucket."Well, I'll be here for the whole summer anyway.  I can't spend all of my time studying."She was still grinning.  "I'll keep that in mind. I've got to run down to check on dinner.  Speaking of which, we start serving dinner at five.""Thank you.  I'll not miss it."  He nodded once before returning to his room to clean himself up, now that the other room was taken care of.Lyria put away the cleaning supplies and ran down to the kitchen.  It seemed things were under control; she might even have time to go clean up.

A few minutes later, refreshed and changed, Severus ventured down to the kitchens.  He was hesitant to just make himself at home, but he wanted to prove himself useful.  Standing just inside the doorway, he watched as Lyria bustled around checking on the meal.  "Can't you just use magic to do that?" he asked, curious.

 "Hopefully I'll be able to soon... we're waiting for official permission," Lyria told him.  "We've only just opened again a day or two ago after... everything."Severus nodded and stepped into the kitchen proper.  "Is there anything here that I can do?"  He almost felt like he was pushing himself upon her company, but he did not really feel like being alone at the moment. "Yes, you can mind that pot.  If it boils over we'll have a bit of a grease fire which probably wouldn't be very well received around here."  Truthfully, Lyria still didn't like being by herself in the kitchen.  It had been her mother's domain, and she wasn't quite ready to be here by herself.  Besides, she only had two eyes.Without a moment's deliberation, Severus situated himself before the large pot.  This was second nature for him, to be in front of something boiling.  It brought a small smile to his face. "How do you think the OWLs went?""Fairly well," he replied, stirring absently. "I'm quite sure I'll break the record for lowest score on Herbology, and I think I'd have done better on Runes if I'd held it upside down to translate, but besides that I think it went well."  She scowled.  "Not that I planned to study either of those two anymore anyway."He chuckled lightly.  "I think I did well in Herbology, Potions, and Defense.  My Transfiguration and Charms could have gone better though." "Defense was really a bit fun," she replied.  "It was a gorgeous day, though, to be cooped up inside studying.""True," he acknowledged.  The spring had been lovely this year.  "Still, it is nice to just have the tests over with." "Agreed.  At least no one we live with had a breakdown over them."Severus sighed in resignation.  "Why would they break down?  Half of them can buy themselves into any job regardless of scores and the other half is too stupid to worry about it." "Well trust me when I tell you no one in the girls' dormitories was terribly fussed over their scores.  It's a miracle half of them bothered to show up for the tests at all.""Oh I don't doubt it."  He had heard Narcissa and Bellatrix fawning over Lucius and Rodolphus.  It was sickening, really. "So much for ambition, I suppose.""They have ambition."  Severus snorted.  "Their ambition simply differs from that of normal people." "I just think it's a bit sad when one's life goals consist entirely of getting married and sitting around the house.""I do agree," he smiled sadly.  He felt almost bad for those young women.  They had no idea what they were getting themselves into by pining after the boys like they did.  Severus had to live with them.  He knew what they were really like. "It makes me a bit the odd duck, really," she said.  It was a strange moment, admitting that to a boy she knew only as a classmate.  It seemed to her, though, that there was something a bit different about him, too.  Certainly no one else in her house would be standing in the kitchen helping her with dinner."Odd?" Severus questioned.  "Perhaps, but it certainly makes you more sensible than the other females." "Agreed," she replied.  "It also has the advantage of eliminating four people who we'd usually have to compete with in our year."He smiled and chuckled at her candor.  The ease he felt around her made him wonder why they had not become friends sooner.She grinned a bit and flicked off both of the stoves. "I do believe we're done."

Severus agreed and pulled the spoon he had been stirring with from the pot.  "What shall we do with these?" he asked.

"I'm going to make my brother do dishes today," Lyria decided.  "Just dump the spoon in the sink."  She took serving dishes down from their closet.Nodding, he tossed the spoon in the sink.  After he wiped his hands, he took the stack of serving dishes from Lyria.  He set them on the counter and emptied the contents of the pot he had been watching into one of the bowls.  While the young witch worked on the other dishes, Severus began to prepare the place settings.  "How many do you need?" he said to Lyria, holding a stack of plates. Lyria did a bit of quick math in her head.  The Coopers, the Wainwrights...  "There's twenty five guests right now, and it being the weekend my brothers will be around... so we'll need six at the table in back.  Seven, if you want to eat with us.  You can't sit all by yourself."Severus pulled down more plates and set them into two piles.  Six for the back room and twenty five for the main dining room.  Holding the odd plate in his hand, he stood quietly for a minute, trying to decide where he would eat.  Finally, he set it with the six.  "Thank you," he said, smiling softly. "You're welcome," she told him.  "Just don't mind my brothers."He snorted incredulously.  "I doubt they could be worse than mine."  Collecting the dishware for the main dining room, he set the tables there, first.Lyria finished filling bowls and began bringing them out, carefully balancing the enormous tray.  "Hopefully Dad will have heard and I'll be able to do this magically now.  It'd be quite a bit easier."Severus looked up from setting the tables.  "I do not doubt it.  Though I imagine there are worse things you could have to do without magic."  To him, housework was not that bad, though he knew most of their housemates would shudder at the thought of standing over a stove. "There definitely are worse things," she agreed.  "Without it, though, there's too much for anyone to do themselves.""I will give you that." He conceded, grinning at Lyria as he suddenly received a mental image of Bellatrix holding the tray.  His eyes screwed shut and he had to set the glasses he was holding down on the table before the laughing fit caused him to drop them. "What's funny?" She asked, setting the tray down."Bellatrix," he gasped out.  "Carrying that tray." She burst out laughing as well, grateful she'd put the tray down already.  "She wouldn't be able to figure out which end was up in a kitchen.""I know!"  Severus clutched his sides.  Tears of mirth rolled down his cheeks. She sat down in the nearest chair to try to compose herself, but she had very little success.Of course, the though of Bellatrix in the kitchen led to the images of Narcissa, Lucius, and assorted other Slytherins in various stages of housework.  Severus doubled over and sank to the floor, unable to stop laughing. Lyria wiped at her eyes.  "I c-can't even imagine it," she managed."Lucius, in an apron!"  He could not resist sharing that image with Lyria.  It was hilarious.  The proud Malfoy heir in an apron and hairnet. Lyria shrieked with laughter.  "Mop in hand!"  
  
"Well that's nice to hear, laughter," Angus MacLaren said from the door, smiling a bit.Severus immediately quieted, not knowing quite what to expect.  Standing quickly he turned to the man and bowed politely."Dad, this is Severus Snape.  He goes to school with me... Severus, this is my father."  
  
"Well.  Nice to finally meet some of the people Lyria mentions."  Angus extended his hand.Severus shook Angus' hand.  "It is nice to meet you as well, sir.""Severus is here to stay for the summer," Lyria said by way of explanation.

"Good."  The boy was as yet an unknown entity to Angus, so it was best to be polite to Lyri's little friend for now and reserve judgment for a while.  "Welcome, then."

"Thank you, sir."  Severus smiled politely at the older man.  He was irrationally intimidated by Lyria's father.  Or perhaps not so irrationally, given what he knew about the man.  However, Angus had given him no reason to be scared, so Severus would just try to give the man no reason to dislike him. "I'd best go clean up for dinner, then.  Lyria, the boys should be here soon."  
  
"Alright, Dad."  Lyria waited until her father had left before turning to Severus.  "He's a little distant around new people.""No offense, but he frightens me," he admitted to Lyria. She shrugged.  "That's most people's reaction to him.  I'm used to it.  My brothers are less intimidating but much more annoying.""Do you get on well with them?" he asked, looking at her askance.  He walked with her to back to the kitchen to finish setting the family table. "Mostly, yes.  Some better than others, to be sure, but we get along well.  They just like to joke and they can be a bit obsessively overprotective.""That is good."  Severus frowned a little.  It seemed that Lyria had good relationships with her family.  It almost made him miss his own."What about you, do you get on with your family?"

Severus looked abashed at the girl.  He was not so much ashamed of his relationship with his family as he was embarrassed to tell it.  "Well, no, not really," he replied, trying to sound indifferent.  "I am just another mouth to feed.  They are best off when I am not around."

 She simply nodded, not wanting to press the issue.  If he wanted to discuss it, he would.  "I sometimes wish I had a sister around, instead of just all the boys.""I wonder if it really makes a difference," Severus mused almost absently.  "All I know is that there are distinct disadvantages of being the youngest." "Agreed."Sitting down at one of the tables as he finished setting them, Severus continued a little wearily.  "There are eight of us, ten if you include my parents.  Ten people and not nearly enough to go around.""It happens.  Nothing to be embarrassed about."  Lyria had been through some of the tougher times with her family, and while it was unusual enough in her house, it had stopped bothering her ages ago.  There were plenty of other more pertinent things that she could fight with the girls in her dormitory about.

"You are one of the few who think that way.  My dorm mates think that poverty is one of the most repulsive things in the world... almost as bad as Muggles."  He leaned his head on his hand and smiled at Lyria.  "We are quite unlike them, aren't we?"  He stressed the "them," indicating the vast majority of the other Slytherins.

She nodded.  "It hits me sometimes more than other times, but we haven't much in common with them.""Sometimes I think I was sorted into Slytherin only because it was expected of me.  I most likely would have been happier in Ravenclaw.  It is difficult, trying to live up to one's familial expectations knowing it will never quite be enough.""My situation... isn't quite that bad.  But I want more than this, more than just my mother's old slot as the innkeeper.  It doesn't suit me."  She sat across from him.  "It doesn't suit me at all."Severus nodded in sympathy and understanding.  "You are... well not better than this, because there is nothing wrong with being an innkeeper, but you are more than that."  He could not see her content running the Broken Wand for the rest of her life, cooking and cleaning rooms.  "I, myself want to be a potions master.  I want to experiment and create new potions that will help people.""I want to be an Auror.  I could see myself doing that; I'd be good at it.  It suits my strengths and I'd be doing something... productive, worthwhile.""I think you would make a brilliant Auror."  He chuckled softly.  "Remind me to stay away from dark magic.""You'd better, I'd hate to have to crack down on you," she joked."With you as an Auror, dark wizards everywhere will cower in terror.""Unfortunately I think people who know me already cower in terror," she said dryly.  "I've got that reputation for a nasty temper, you know."Severus arched an eyebrow.  "Is there anyone who does not know?" he deadpanned."They usually find out pretty quickly, don't they?""Well, you have been known to break people's noses when they irritated you.""That's reserved for special individuals in particular.""Like, say, Black?""Particularly him, yes, and his nasty little friends."Severus snorted and agreed wholeheartedly.  "Lupin would not be so bad except for his terrible taste in companions.""He usually keeps his mouth shut, at least," she agreed.Before Severus could again comment about the infamous Marauders, heavy footsteps approached the dinning room.  "Lyri, is dinner ready yet?  The guests are waiting!"  Zachary sauntered into the room, grinning at his baby sister."Dinner's on trays in the kitchen.  You should definitely know how to pick them up by now."  Lyria smirked at him."But Lyri..." Zachary whined playfully, trying to get out of serving duty.  He hardly even noticed the boy sitting across from his sister.  
  
For his part, Severus sat quietly, observing the interaction between the siblings.  He was quite enjoying seeing the banter between the family members."Go on.  Two hands under the tray, bend from the knees.""Oh, fine.  Evil woman."  Zachary grinned and trudged from the room to fetch the trays. Lyria laughed a bit at his retreating form. "Lyri, you planning to eat tonight?"  Oliver asked as he entered.Zachary returned carrying a tray and two more floating behind him.  "Don't worry about me, I've got this under control."Lyria looked at Oliver as if for help.  
  
"I'll help with that, Zack.  But first, little baby Lyri, who's your friend?"  
  
She scowled at him.  "Oliver, Zack, this is Severus Snape... Severus, these are my brothers."Severus smiled weakly.  "Hello."  
  
Zack grinned.  "'lo Severus.  Don't let Lyri tell you any tales about us.  We are charming and kind blokes.""You're a pair of prats, you are."  
  
"Nonsense, Lyri, we're two fine young gentlemen who love our baby sister."  Oliver plucked one of the floating trays from midair."Why thank you, Oli."  Zack grinned and placed the two remaining trays on a sidebar buffet against the far wall.  
  
Severus looked from one brother to the other.  Though there were many children in his family, he had never seen the casual interaction of twins before.  The two played off each other as though they had a planned routine.  Leaning across the table, he whispered to Lyria.  "Are they always like this?" "Oh yes," Lyria said.  "All the time..."  
  
"Hey, no whispering with your boy there," Oliver snickered.Severus blushed crimson and moved away from Lyria, much to Zack's amusement.  "Now what little secrets could they be sharing do you think, Oli?""I think Lyria's got something embarrassing to admit to, like how she still has her blankie neatly folded at the end of her bed..."  
  
"ZACHARY MICHAEL MACLAREN, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"  Lyria got to her feet.Severus did not know whether to chuckle or hide under the table.  As it was, he just sat there in shock.  
  
"Don't yell at me."  Zack pouted and pointed at his brother.  "He is the one who mentioned the blankie... I was going to suggest the stuffed unicorn on the bottom of your closet.""Says the boy who has his teddy bear under the bed," she snapped.  
  
Oliver ducked behind Zack, peering over his brother's shoulder at Lyria with a snicker.  
   
"I resent that."  The mock pout was still firmly on Zack's face.  "And you," he turned to Oliver.  "Don't use me as a shield against her." "Sorry, but I don't plan to get walloped."  Oliver grinned.  
  
Lyria scowled at them."Sissy," Zack muttered at his twin.  "Lyri, we'd best let the guests in before they break down the door to sample your exquisite cuisine.""Then go open the door," she advised.  "And Oliver can put the trays out, while I'll get the one for in here."Severus stood with Lyria.  "Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
Zack grinned and winked at Oliver, nodding toward Severus and speaking a language only twins understand.  Saluting saucily to Lyria he barked out a crisp "Yes ma'am!" and marched out to let the patrons into the main dining hall.Oliver, also grinning widely, left to set out trays.   
  
"You can come with me if you like, but I think we'll be all set... I'm just glad I'm not doing it all myself today," Lyria replied."Whatever you want."  Severus shrugged.  "I am just glad for the company." "So am I," she admitted, headed for the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Same as last chapter applies, please review!

Lyria set the bucket down with a thunk, causing water to splash out all over her leg.  She muttered something incomprehensible before setting down the mops.  "So you haven't taken off yet, I see," she teased, noticing that Severus was already in the room.

"You don't think I scare that easily do you?"  Severus grinned, hair held back by a kerchief.  He took one of the mops and looked around the room.  "I'll start on one side and we can meet in the middle?"

 "Sounds fine.  You only don't scare easily because you didn't clean out room sixteen this morning.  Mrs. Cooper's son had a bit of a tantrum."  She grabbed the other mop.

"Again?!"  He sighed, shaking his head as he wet the mop and took it to the other side of the room.

 "Oh yes, again.  He broke the nightstand this time.  I don't know how he did it, all I can figure is he jumped off the thing."  She scowled.  "Little monster."

"I do not know how a parent can stand to have children behave like that.  And then the teachers who have to put up with them."  He shook his head.  "I do not envy them."

 "Neither do I... though I can't say I have any sympathy for a parent.  If you teach your children to mind, it's not a problem."

Swiping the damp mop over the floor, Severus hummed.  "I do agree with that."  He looked up and watched Lyria working for a moment.  It was almost funny to hear her talking about making children mind.  "So, I suppose you would beat your children into submission."  He chuckled a little, not at all serious.

 "Only if they were cheeky little swots like you," she retorted, smiling.

"I am offended."  He placed one hand over his heart.  "You wound me, Lyria, really."

 "However shall I live with myself?" 

Severus grinned.  "I think you should apologize to start with, then you should make me biscuits."

"And do you know where I think you should put these hypothetical biscuits?"  She smirked.

"I am sure I could imagine.... though I doubt it would be very comfortable."

 "No, probably not," she agreed.

"So does this mean I don't get biscuits?"  Severus pouted.

 "This means that you are not special, and you will have to wait until I want biscuits too."

"What if I promise to help you make the biscuits?"

 "Well in that case, you might get some."  She smiled.

He smiled widely, already planning on badgering Lyria into the kitchen at some point.  He was very much in the mood for Shrewsbury biscuits and tea.

 "If you're especially well behaved," she added, pushing the mop across the floor.

"I've been such a very good boy."  He put on his best "innocent" face.  "I've helped you cook and clean and I haven't messed my room or broken anything."

 "Congratulations, you're officially better behaved than the five year old in residence here."  Lyria smiled.  "But you have, admittedly, been a great deal of help."

"It has been my pleasure, honestly."  He smiled as he continued to mop.

 "And... well... it's been nice to have a bit of company," she admitted.

Severus paused for a minute.  "For me as well."

 She smiled and then quickly went back to mopping.

Dropping his head, Severus went back to his mopping, working his way to the centre of the room.   "How often do you normally clean like this?"

"Pretty much just as necessary," she replied.  "It's high traffic, so that's fairly often, though... my mother used to do it.  She made me stay upstairs, always said I was getting underfoot."

"Hmm."  It must be difficult for her, Severus realized, doing this work.  Not just because she would be the only one doing it, but also because it was her mother's job.  He was gladder than ever that he was here to offer his assistance.

 "Things aren't all that busy today... you might even get your biscuits after we finish in here."

Severus had some trouble suppressing his whoop of joy, however he could not stop the grin that spread across his face.  "Brilliant!"

 She laughed, secretly glad to see him pleased over it.  "Don't let it get around, now, people might think I'm nice.  We mustn't have that."

"Oh, of course not."  He chuckled.  It would not do to have just anyone try to be friends with the young witch.

 Lyria had made her way to the center of the room already; while she hadn't been the primary mopper until very recently, both her parents had taught her efficiency.  She leaned against the mop.  "Whatever you do, don't mention it to my brothers."

"Oh, bother.  And here I was just about to run out and tell Zachary and Oliver."

 "Go ahead, but by the end of the week there'll be an article in the Daily Prophet suggesting that I fancy you."

He frowned at that.  "Just for being nice to me?  That makes no sense."

 "That's my brothers," she said dryly.  "They turn everything into an excuse to heckle me."

"Wonderful.  I shall guard you secret with my life, in that case."

 "I'd appreciate that."  The head of the mop slid on the still slightly wet floor, and Lyria yelped as she lost her footing and landed on the floor beside her mop. 

"Are you okay?" Severus gasped.  He dropped his mop and was at Lyria's side in a flash.  He was sure that she would resent him treating her as though she was "weak" but his instinct was to make sure she was not injured. 

 "Yes, I'm alright."  She got to her feet.  "Teach me to watch it when the floor's wet, that will, but I'm alright."  She was certain she was blushing.  If that wasn't embarrassing, she didn't know what was.

"Lyria..." he grinned slyly.  "Be careful when the floor is wet."

 She picked up her mop and thwacked him with it.

"Ouch!"  Severus rubbed his head and smiled.  "Okay, I deserved that."

 She laughed a bit.  "You most certainly did."

"Hey! There was no need for you to agree with that!"  He laughed in return, still rubbing his head.  She had a strong arm, that one.

 "Oh, hush.  I'm going to make you biscuits in a minute."

Severus grinned and chimed in a sing-song voice.  "Thank you Lyria."

 "You're welcome, Sev," she chanted back.

He wrinkled his nose.  "Sev?"

 "I'm heckling, don't trouble yourself.  I wouldn't dream of using it on a regular basis."

"Actually... I don't mind it all that much.  Though if anyone else were to use it, I think I would have to hex them."

 "Aw, that's flattering."

He shrugged.  "Well, you are going to make me biscuits."

"So I get to call you Sev.  Come on, let's pick up the mops and we can go down to the kitchen."

Nodding, Severus picked up both mops and the bucket.  "Lead the way."

 Lyria led him first to the bathroom where she dumped the bucket down the drain, then to the closet to store everything neatly away.  "Alright, come on.  You and your biscuits... of course, I'll have to wash my hands."

"You say that like it is a bad thing."  Severus laughed.

 "Of course not."  She smiled.

"Well then, let's get to it!"

 Lyria tied her hair back again - it had been falling out - and then washed her hands.  "And what kind of biscuits are you after?"

Severus washed his hands as well, making certain to dry them thoroughly.  "Shrewsbury biscuits, if you don't mind."  He prepared himself for another smack, considering that he had picked one of the most difficult biscuits to prepare.

She tossed flour at his face but began pulling out the ingredients she'd need.  "Somehow I predicted that."

"I did say I would help..."  As though that would make it any better.

 "Too right you will."

Not knowing where anything in the kitchen was, but knowing the recipe by heart, Severus began to prepare the ingredients while Lyria pulled them from various cupboards.

 "I get the idea you've done this before."

"Only a few times."  Severus gave a small smile.  "I used to bake with my nana before she died.  She would mind me while my parents worked."

"Mum taught me.  It was the one thing only I got to do with her, she never taught the boys."

"Your brothers do not seem like the cooking type to me, anyway."  Severus smirked and flicked a little flour back at Lyria.  "However, this is a good look for you."

 "Oh, you're in trouble."  She took the neatly measured cup of flour and threw it at him.

He glared at her for ruining his precisely measure flour and promptly doused her with sugar.

Lyria laughed, grabbing the bag of flour this time in order to have more to pelt him with.

Because Lyria had already grabbed the most logical weapon, Severus randomly threw whatever he could.  Sugar, baking powder, and salt were among the most logical choices.

 "You're lucky I didn't grab eggs," Lyria called, tossing flour at him and trying to use a pan as a shield.

"Yes," Severus shouted back, "Well I almost grabbed the oil!"

 "Don't even think about it!"

"You stay away from the eggs and I'll lay off the oil!"

 She couldn't resist.  Lyria grabbed an egg from the counter and chucked it at him.

Though he tried to duck, Severus was not quite quick enough and he got splattered on the forehead by an egg.  With a glare, he ran up to Lyria and dumped the measuring cup of oil over her head.

 Lyria shrieked, throwing as much flour as she could manage at him.

Finally, he could stand it no longer and a grin broke out on his face.  The flour dust had gotten over Lyria as well when she threw it at him and between the oil and the flour, she looked ridiculous.  He started to laugh, and laugh hard.

 She laughed as well, looking around at the mess.  "So much for biscuits."  She sat down.  
   
He shrugged.  "I think this was more fun anyway."

 "It very well might have been.  Although we do have to clean it up now."

"What I would not give just to be able to cast a Scourgify," he groaned.

"Soon, hopefully... bureaucracy at its finest still prevents it for now, though."  She looked around.  "It does look like we've had fun though, doesn't it?"

"If you consider minor acts of war fun, then yes, indeed we did."  Severus grinned and brushed some flour from Lyria's shoulder.

She smiled.  "I suppose we'd better clean up before we change just in case there's some unresolved tension and someone feels the need to douse the other in flour one more time."

"That is most likely wise."  He did not fancy having to change his clothes twice.

 "It'll mean that much less laundry."  She darted to the closet and came back with cleaning supplies.

Shaking his head, Severus took a broom and began to sweep up the various and sundry dry ingredients from the floor.

 Lyria wet a rag to wipe down the countertops, the stove, and practically every other surface in the room.

"We certainly did a good job, did we not?"  Severus chuckled, gesturing around the room.

 "I'd have to say so."

It did not take long for them to finish cleaning up, since it was almost all powder.  However, Severus did not envy Lyria the mess that her hair would be.  The thought of it made him chuckle again.  He could not look at her with a straight face.

 "You're laughing at me again, aren't you?"  She demanded, though she was smiling.  "You ought to see yourself."

Severus rubbed his forehead, having forgotten about the egg.  "Oh yes..."

 "You are no longer allowed to help me make biscuits."  She smiled at him.

He pouted in mock sadness.  "I guess I shall just have to bake without you then."

"I never said I wouldn't bake.  You just aren't allowed to help."  She rinsed off the rag.

"So... I still get my biscuits?"  He smiled hopefully.

 "Yes, you still get your biscuits," she laughed.

"Huzzah!"  Severus cheered.  He wanted to hug Lyria, but figured that might be pushing it, and so refrained.

 She smiled.  "Go wash up, I'll make you your foolish biscuits."

With all due haste, Severus finished sweeping the floor.  Before bounding out of the kitchen, he put away the broom.  "Thank you, Lyri," he called before scampering off to his room to get cleaned up.

She rolled her eyes but set about making biscuits for him. There were very few people she'd do this for, she mused.  If it weren't for having four brothers and a father she could probably have counted them on one hand.  Biscuit making did go faster without Severus in the kitchen...  
   
Coming back into the kitchen, clean now, Severus pulled up a chair so he could sit with Lyria while she baked.  "I really did mean it when I said thank you."

 "I know you did, and you're welcome."  She smiled at him briefly, but quickly focused on her work again.

"I would offer to help, but..."

"You aren't allowed near anything messy, even if I did initiate the food fight," she finished for him. "Besides, I really don't mind, I'm practically done preparing them."

He was very excited by the prospect of getting biscuits and it caused Severus to rock in his chair.  His sharp eyes watched every move Lyria made, wanting his treat to be perfect.  He had no complaints at all.  The young woman certainly was not lying when she said her mother had taught her the way around the kitchen.

 She sensed he was staring, and she smiled a bit to herself.  He didn't interrupt, however, so she said nothing until she'd slipped the baking sheet into the oven.  "It goes much faster when I'm not being bludgeoned with sugar," she told him, finally turning to face him.

"You know you brought that upon yourself."  Severus smiled easily, feeling more comfortable here in this little kitchen than he had ever felt at home.

 She grinned.  "Who, me?"

"No, the other brunette baking cookies."  Severus stuck his tongue out at Lyria, feeling incredibly childish and not really caring.

 She returned the gesture.  "Well if you want these biscuits, you mind your manners, you prat."

He put on a look of shock.  "I am the model of perfect manners.  I do not know what you are talking about."

 "At least you got the egg off your face."  She grinned.

"And you still have oil in your hair... sorry about that."  He did not look very sorry, despite the words.  In fact, he looked rather pleased with himself.

 "I haven't tried to tidy up yet.  I've been making biscuits for one of the very few people I would still be making biscuits before after they so clearly abused me with baking products."

Rather than address the fact that Lyria had just told him that she did not mind baking for him, he continued to tease her.  "As I recall, it was mutual abuse."  Inside he was smiling knowing that she thought that much of him.

 "Yes, but you started it.  Oh, bother, I started it.  Oh well."  She shrugged.

"It was fun and that is what matters."  He grinned and brushed some of the flour from her shoulder.

 "Why thank you."

"Anytime.  If you want to go clean up, I can finish up the biscuits."

 "If you don't mind, I think I will."

"Go right ahead."  He gestured to the door.  "I'll be fine. I promise, I'll not make a mess of the kitchen."

"If you do you'll have to tidy it up," she teased on her way out.  She cleaned up and changed - it took what seemed like half an age to get her hair clean and yank her brush through it - before returning to the kitchen.

On a cooling rack in the counter, neat rows of cut-out biscuits laid, waiting to be put into a tin for keeping.  Severus was happily munching on one and sipping tea when Lyria returned.  "Feel better?

 "Most definitely," she replied.  "Have you burned your tongue off yet, eating those the second they were done?"

Severus childishly stuck his tongue out at her.  "No, I haven't.  They are good.  Would you like one?"

"I would, actually."  She plucked one from its tray.

"Tea?"  He offered a cup.

"You'd make a passable housewife."  She smirked, taking the cup.

Severus shrugged, not rising to the bait.  "There are worse things to be, I'd imagine."

 "I suppose."

He grinned.  "Of course, I cannot for the life of me, see you as one.  Though, you do make a fine biscuit."

 "What are you talking about?  I'd be wonderful at it.  Can you imagine me with a few little ones about?"  She snorted.  "Thank you, by the way, about the biscuits."

"It was my pleasure.  Thank you for making them in the first place."  He decided that it was wiser not to comment on the idea of Lyria having children.  It would not be good for his head... or other assorted body parts.

 "They really aren't half bad, if I can congratulate myself."

Severus chuckled at that.  "Of course you may."

 "Well I'm pleased."

He nodded and finished his treat.  They were quite good.  Severus drained his cup of tea and took it to the sink to wash.  "Do you have a tin around that I could pack those in?"  He washed his cup as well as the baking dishes.

 "I'll pack them up, you finished them off."  Lyria got a container from one of the cupboards.

Severus quickly finished washing the dishes.  He did not understand why so many found it an unsavory task.  "We make a good team."

 "We do," she agreed.  There was a moment's silence: not unpleasant silence, just... companionable.

It was an odd feeling for Severus, to be so completely at ease with someone.  Even the menial kitchen chores were less oppressive with Lyria.  Odd, he would have to think about it later.

 "OWL scores'll be arriving soon," she said absently.

Severus nodded.  He was a little concerned about his scores, but not overly.  "They were not as bad as I had expected."

 "I didn't think most of them were too bad.  At least not the ones that are important for my further study."

"Yes, the ones I most need to excel in seemed the easiest, fortunately."

 She nodded.  "I suppose it makes sense, though, as one has to play to one's strengths."

"Logically.  Do you think we will be in the same potions class next term?"

"I hope so.  That'd be convenient, wouldn't it?  Truth is, I'd better be if I think I'd like to be an Auror."

"We both need it.  I am sure we did fine though."  He smiled from his place at the sink where he was drying and stacking the dishes.

 "I think so.  I'm certain you did and I'm fairly certain I did well enough, too."

Severus blushed, irrationally pleased that she would be certain he did well.   He knew he had done well, but he was not used to praise.

 She too was silent, not quite sure what to say.  It was a bit strange to praise him, but true; she was certain he'd done just fine... but no, that wasn't it, that wasn't the cause for feeling unsettled.  Strange, she'd have to figure out what was going on later.

Grasping at straws, he searched for a topic to fill the silence, which was beginning to verge on uncomfortable.  "What other classes are you going to be taking?"  He was sure he sounded asinine, but it was better than looking it.

 "Um, Defense Against the Dark Arts... Transfiguration and Charms, and then... I don't know.  The program I want requires five, though, so I suppose I'll continue Arithmancy or something."

Severus nodded.  "I have Herbology, CoMC, Defense, Transfiguration, and Charms."

 "I don't know if I'll take a sixth," she said.  "I did badly enough on Runes this time and I don't even want to think about Herbology."

"Well, I don't really have much of a choice."  He laughed, knowing that most students avoided Herbology and CoMC if they could.  He, however, had to take them for his course of study.

 "I wouldn't mind Runes, and I'm sure it'd be useful, but further study would require doing well on the OWL and let's just say I don't have my hopes up."  She smiled a bit.  As long as she had five classes, she was fine, and she couldn't say she'd be heartbroken if she had to take something a little easier to fill her schedule.

"You could try Divination," he suggested jokingly, draining the last of his tea.

 She made a face.  "I'd rather have my toenails pulled out, thank you very much."

That did it, Severus fell out of his chair, laughing uncontrollably.

 Lyria laughed a bit as well.  "Well it's true," she replied.  "It's just ridiculous.  Astrology, honestly, explain to me how one in every twelve people have the same fate."

He snorted, trying to control his breathing and pull himself off the floor.  "Indeed.  And," he gasped, "seeing your future in tea- tea leaves!"  He snickered again, righting himself in the chair.

 "I'd likely tell the teacher where to put the tea leaves, which would probably be frowned upon."  She grinned.

"I don't doubt that."  Severus smiled back, looking into his cup and snorting again.

 It was nice to hear him laugh, see him smile, but it made that unsettling feeling she couldn't quite pin down resurface.  She busied herself with a biscuit.

Sighing, Severus looked from his cup.  "I have some summer work to do.  Would you like to study with me, or are you busy?"

 "I think things should be fine without me until I need to start dinner."  She smiled.

"Lovely."  Thinking for a minute, he asked shyly, "How about we study up in my room.  That way your brothers can't bother us."

 She smiled.  "That sounds fine."

Nicking a few more biscuits and refilling his mug, Severus stood.  "Well, shall we?"

 Lyria got up as well.  "I'll run up and get my things and meet you there, then?"

Severus nodded and made his way up to his room quickly.  He refused to embarrass himself further by having Lyria see his room a disgrace.

 Lyria made her way upstairs a bit more slowly and looked around the room.  Most of her things were still in her book bag; she didn't usually study in here anyway, so it was best to make things easy to carry.  She caught sight of herself in the mirror and hastily brushed her hair back again before going down to room twelve.

His room in order, though he should not have expected less, Severus spread his things out on the floor, laying a blanket down and grabbing his pillows, to make it more comfortable.  There was not really a table that they could both use, so he assumed that the floor would be safer (and more neutral) than them both sitting on the bed.

 The door was open, so Lyria simply stepped into the room.  "Hi."

Looking up from where he lay on his stomach, he smiled.  "Hello.  Make yourself comfortable."

 She sat down on the blanket, setting her bag down next to her.

"So what would you like to start on?  Potions, Charms, DADA, or Transfiguration?"

 "Um, let's do Potions.  Start with something easier to warm up."

Severus nodded and pulled his Potions text to the front.  The book was a bit battered and obviously well used, but he did not really care.  Lyria was not like the others in his house, and besides, the material was still good.

 Lyria rifled through her own book bag for a moment and found the necessary book.  Hers was in slightly better condition than his, but only because only Dylan had "used" it... if it could be called using the book.

"Okay, so, it says we are supposed to read the first chapter and write a three foot essay on the healing properties of the ingredients mentioned."  Three feet was not a lot.  Severus was not sure he could finish the assignment in that little space.

 "That's going to require some maneuvering, isn't it?  I suppose the trick'll be to read it and prioritize..."  Lyria was already pondering how to organize such an essay to get the most use out of the space.

He nodded absently, already beginning to skim through the chapter.

 Lyria did likewise.  The two lapsed into silence, both companionably reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Lyria looked up surprised as an enveloped landed with a thunk on her breakfast plate.  But of course, OWL scores would be in... she looked up, and sure enough, Severus had an identical envelope, though the delivery owl had at least had the decency not to drop his letter in his corn flakes.  She lifted it, grateful she'd decided against milk, and ripped the envelope open.

Shooing the owl away, Severus continued with his breakfast.  It was too early in the morning to fuss with scores.  Of course, he would not dare tell Lyria that.  She would most likely not take it well at all.

 Lyria glanced in hers.  For a moment she was smiling, and then... oh but that was embarrassing.He looked up in time to see the change in her expression.  "That does not look like a good sign."  He said, merely observing her. She shrugged, tossing the paper aside.  
  
Zack picked it up and snickered.  "Good job on Herbology, Lyri, looks like that hard work almost paid off."  
  
"Shut up," she growled."I am sure it is not that bad."  Severus glared at Zack, irritated that he would mock Lyria.  It did not matter that he was her brother; one did not make fun of another's test scores.  
  
Looking over Zack's shoulder, Oliver smiled.  "Oh, trust us, it is that bad." Lyria looked as if she'd gladly sink into her corn flakes.Severus turned his glare to Oliver, then smiled at Lyria.  "Don't listen to them Lyria." "They're right," she replied flatly.He frowned, not quite sure how to respond.  "Well," he said finally, "at least it is only Herbology.  It is not as though you need it for anything." "I suppose.""If you ever really need help in Herbology, you can always ask me.  I promise not to intentionally give you incorrect information."  He flashed a small smile, hoping to make her feel better. She rather weakly returned the smile.Severus did not like her weak smile, but he could not do anything about it with her brothers around. Zack at least wasn't going to stick around for long, though.  "Anyway, some of us have to get to work.  Perk up, Lyri, you still did better than most."  He mussed his sister's hair, and she sneered at him. Zack just grinned.  "See you tonight, bye Severus."  He put his things in the kitchen and grabbed his cloak on his way out the door. Lyria was absently poking at her corn flakes.Oliver tousled his baby sister's hair, then followed his brother out, grinning cheekily.  
  
"Are you okay?"  Severus asked quietly after they were both out of earshot.  Walking around to where Lyria sat, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm alright, I guess.  I didn't expect perfect scores but it's still disappointing to see that one."He nodded slowly, understanding the disappointment she felt.  "It is rough, but it will work out." "I suppose.  I'll just wallow in it for a little while until I get distracted," she said dryly.  "It'll be fine... it's just... frustrating, after I worked that hard.""I know."  He quickly gave her a reassuring hug, not wanting her to feel badly.  He did not even think of his action before he did it.  It seemed that it was instinct, though he had never just hugged someone before. She was certain she was blushing a little bit, but she was also smiling.  "Thanks... I get a hug?"Severus blushed in return.  "Um... yes." She was still smiling at him a bit.  That unsettled feeling had returned again, but now that she was more used to... whatever it was, she couldn't say she minded."You don't mind do you?"  He liked hugging her.  He received as much comfort from it as he hoped to be giving.  It was odd, but not bad. "No, I don't mind.  In fact, thank you.""You are welcome."  Instead of walking back around the table, he sat beside her, enjoying the closeness. She was glad to have him there.  "So what about you?  Have you even looked?"  She asked, trying to make conversation.  Silence was nice sometimes, but it made her focus on that feeling in the pit of her stomach.He shook his head.  "No, I haven't opened it. I am not sure I want to." "Go on.  You did fine."Reaching across the table, Severus grasped the envelope.  "Well, here goes.""What do you want from me, a drum roll?  Open it already," she laughed.He grinned and opened the letter, scanning his scores and sighing with relief.  "Four Os and two Es." "And that's almost a shock," she teased, smiling.  "Congratulations."Severus blushed with pleasure.  "Thank you." "You're entirely welcome."  She gave him a quick hug.  "It's nice to know we both got what we need, at least.""Very true."  He grinned, setting the letter aside.  "And now we know we'll be in potions together." "And hopefully those who have trouble keeping their cauldrons in one piece won't be there anymore.""Indeed."  He so hated sharing the lab with incompetents.  "Oh! I think I should look into a new cauldron now..." "Mm, might be a good investment," she agreed.  "Dad'll be pleased with mine, I think, even if my brothers were idiots over Herbology.  Besides," she said, a bit of a devilish grin crossing her face, "It's not like any of them can compare their scores, really.  Takes five Outstanding scores to be an Auror, and I'm pretty pleased with having gotten them.""Five Outstandings, that is excellent!"  Severus was very happy for his friend.  It was an incredible score. "The rest of it doesn't so much matter, but I got the four I need and then Arithmancy, so I can do it."  She smiled.He nodded, grinning.  This had been a very good morning so far. "Anyway, we both got what we needed and it's a really nice day, so maybe we can squander time outside today instead of in here.""I think that sounds like a brilliant plan.  Let me just put the letter up in my trunk.  I'll be right back." She nodded and went to put her own letter on her father's desk before going back to the dining room.Severus came back down to the kitchen, without his robe, wearing lightweight slacks and a crisp white shirt.  "Ready?" "Yeah, let's go."  She smiled.Like a gentleman, Severus offered Lyria his arm before the left the comfortable kitchen. She smiled and took it.  "Look at you being a gentleman."He shrugged casually.  "It is how I was raised.""It's hard to find, you know. I approve," she said, still grinning."Well, I am glad."  He smiled, opening the door for her."If I ever meet your mum, remind me to tell her she did a good job.""I will."  He laughed lightly, in a surprisingly good mood.  
   
 "It really is nice out..."  She looked upward at the bright blue sky.

Severus nodded.  "Yes it is."  The blue sky was beautiful and everything was green.  Not to mention how nice the company was.

 She led the way out behind the inn to a grassy area.  "I sit out here sometimes anyway, it's peaceful."It was more than peaceful.  It was the most stunning yards he had ever seen.  Of course, it would have to be nice for the sake of the inn, but, to him, it rivaled Hogwarts in appeal.  "I love it," he admitted quietly, barely aware of what he was saying.She smiled.  "Well good."Walking a short distance, he took a seat under one of the trees, preferring to stay out of the sunlight if he could avoid it.Lyria wandered over and sat near him."Thank you for sharing this with me, Lyria."She smiled.  "You're welcome.  My brother Eryk takes care of it, mostly - I'm not much of a gardener," she said dryly.Severus chuckled.  "I never would have guessed." For the first time the slight mention of Herbology didn't upset her.  "I stick to the admiring end of it.""At least you take some joy in it."  He was thankful that he did not get smacked, since he thought he had deserved it.  "Some people do not do even that.""I appreciate how much work goes into it, I suppose."Nodding, he leaned against the tree, admiring the landscaping."I like that part."  She pointed toward an arbor nearby."It is very picturesque."  If he could draw at all, he would have loved to sketch the arbor.  It reminded him of something out of a book."I remember Eryk doing that... he made the arbor himself, too. I sat and watched and handed him nails occasionally," she said with a slight laugh.  "Yet something else I'm not so good at.""So, you are good with the more, ah, domestic chores and not so good with the maintenance?" She nodded.  "Eryk handles the maintenance by and large, and I take care of the day to day domestic sorts of things."He smiled.  "It sounds as though the two of you make a good team.""We do, really.  He's good about doing his part, even with his new girlfriend and all.""That is good."  Severus sat quietly for a moment, rolling the information around in his mind.  "So, will he eventually take over the inn?  You seem to do well running it, but I know it is not what you want to do.""I think he will, yes.  I don't think he's accepted it yet, though... we'll see.""Ah, family," he laughed, eyes falling closed as he enjoyed a cool breeze over his face.  "I think you and I could run it quite respectably for some time.""We're doing quite well so far, aren't we?"  She smiled, stretching out on her back on the grass.  "It'll take Eryk a while... he'll get married, have a baby on the way, and then he'll settle down to the inn.  That's my prediction.""We are doing amazingly."  He laughed at her prediction.  "I thought you did not go in for Divination.""It's not Divination, this is a prediction which actually required thought."He snorted, but did not argue with her, figuring it would be pointless.She still caught the snort, though, and she tossed a clump of dirt at him.Not wanting to ruin the carefully kept grass, he took the clump she had thrown at him and just tossed it back at her.  "Let's not start this again.""No more messy fights, agreed," she said.That dirt wasn't the only flying debris, however - suddenly, dirt came flying at them both and a child of perhaps five leapt out of the bushes.  "You've got a GIRLFRIEND!"  The boy yelled at Severus, and when she reoriented herself Lyria realized it was Mrs. Cooper's son.It took Severus a moment to realize that he was the one being addressed.  When he made the connection, he scowled at the child.  "Do not talk about things you do not understand.""Where's your mother?"  Lyria demanded.  
  
The boy pulled a face.  "She's not here."  He went back to talking to Severus.  "Girls are icky, and she's not even nice."  He pointed at Lyria."She is not 'icky' as you so eloquently put it."  Really, he knew there was no rationalizing with a child this young, but he wanted to defend Lyria.  Of course, that was not to say that she could not take care of herself.  "You are just an obnoxious child that gets on her nerves.  If you were nicer to her, she could be nicer to you.""I don't want to be nice to your girlfriend.""You irritating juvenile delinquent, she is not my girlfriend.""You were holding hands before, I saaaw you," the boy insisted.  
  
"If you go away, I won't tell your mother you escaped," Lyria offered."I was being a gentleman, something about which I am quite certain you know nothing."The boy ignored Severus, seemingly considering Lyria's offer, and then took off.  
  
Lyria scowled. "Maybe he'll get permanently lost, what do you think?""I would not get my hopes up," he frowned.  Aggravating child.  How could he think that the two of them were a couple?"If I were his mother I certainly wouldn't look for him.""Lyria, if you were his mother, he would have been dead long ago.""If I were his mother he wouldn't be such an infuriating little berk," she replied.  "However, I most certainly did not have a child at age ten, so that makes this interesting but entirely hypothetical."Severus laughed.  "I find your need to make that qualification highly amusing." She smiled a bit.  "Just want to make it clear.""That is good to know.  I shall keep it in mind." "In fact, just to make it clear, I have never had a child," Lyria laughed.

"Well, thank the gods for that."  Severus laughed.  "It would make it nearly impossible for you to focus on your school work if you had to care for a child at all hours of the day."  Not to mention the fact that he could not even begin to picture a miniature Lyria running around.

"Agreed," she laughed.  
  
A sudden rustle in the bushes was followed by the return of the small boy who had run off just a minute before.  "I'm telling everybody you've got a boyfriend!"  He told Lyria."The annoying little twit has returned," he sighed, annoyed.  "Shouldn't you be kept on a leash?" he snapped at the child.The child laughed, though Lyria thought it sounded more like a cackle.  "You just wanted me to go 'way so you could kiss."Severus ignored the child, turning to the young witch.  "Perhaps we should adjourn to one of our rooms to be rid of the pest.""Are you gonna go kiss there?"  He demanded.  
  
Lyria all but snarled at the boy.  "I will wallop you well into next week if you don't go away, and if you tell your mother she won't believe you."Watching the exchange between the two was nearly as amusing as watching Oliver and Zack, and almost as frustrating.  "You have done this before, haven't you?"  He whispered to the girl.She nodded.  "More or less, yes.  He'll back down," she replied just as quietly.  
  
"What are you saying?"  The child demanded.  
  
"I'm deciding how best to knock all of your teeth out of your head," she told him coolly.  The child stepped back slightly just in case she was telling the truth.He arched an eyebrow, more or less impressed by Lyria's ability to intimidate.  True, it was only a child, but it was an especially annoying and persistent one, so he felt no guilt."Shoo.  Go on," Lyria said firmly.  
  
"You can't make me!"  
  
She got to her feet, and the boy squealed and ran a few steps farther back.Severus chuckled, very amused by the situation.  He would have to take notes from the woman.  She was quite skilled at this."Go!"  Lyria barked.  
  
"Fine!  I don't want to watch you kiss anyway!"  The child darted off."You'll have to teach me to do that some time."  He smiled up at her, a laugh in his eyes. She grinned a bit.  "I had to learn to scare off my brothers.  A toddler's nothing, really.""Ah, I see," he murmured.  "Well, will you sit back down, or would you prefer to go inside after all?" "I think sitting sounds like a fine idea."  She did so, flopping back down on the grass."This is much better," he spoke quietly.  For a while he just sat silently, enjoying the peace. "Agreed.  No small children and I don't have to put on the intimidating face.""Well," he smiled, "the intimidating face is not bad, but I like this one a little better." She blushed a bit.  "Well... good... thanks."  She smiled.Severus blushed as well, unable to believe he actually said those words aloud.  "You are welcome," he smiled shyly. She was still smiling a bit herself.  It was... nice to be complimented a bit.

"You know," Severus said, grinning just a little maliciously, "I could always slip the brat a sedative."

 "That's really not a half bad idea," Lyria mused.

"Perhaps in tonight's dinner, I can manage something.  I'll have to check my trunk to see what ingredients I have."  He did a mental calculation to see what he would need.  "Would you prefer fast working or long lasting?"

 "Fast working, ideally his mother'll get him out of the way after dinner."

"Ideally..."  He was not overly optimistic for that to actually happen.  He began to wonder if perhaps he could make a potion that would do both.

 "Hopefully she'll be leaving soon," Lyria sighed.  "It's awful to say, because we really are better off if we keep the place full, but it's a nightmare having that little monster here."

Severus nodded.  It was most unfortunate, but some people were just better away from public places.  That child was one of them.  "Perhaps you could politely remind the mother that you run an inn, not a day-care."

 "From how Eryk explained the situation she's in, the little nightmare is really only a secondary concern."  She sat up a little bit.  "But he also said they shouldn't be here long this time."

"That is still no excuse," he grumbled, discontent.  He did not like that Lyria had so much responsibility put on her.  Not because he thought she could not handle it, but because it just was not fair.

 Lyria shrugged.  "They ought to be gone by sometime next week, and I can chase the little brat off easily enough."

"Or we can just keep him sedated until they leave."

 "That'll work too."

Severus smiled and settled back against the tree, pleased to have a new project.  It was quite exciting.

 Lyria flopped onto her back in the grass, not caring to prop herself up on her elbows anymore.  "I suppose I'll have to see to it that the little disaster gets some lunch later."

"And if he won't cooperate, you hold him down, and I'll pour the potion down his throat," he chuckled evilly.

 "I'm pretty sure I could get him to eat anything if I threatened him."

"I have no doubt."  He was quite sure she could get most grown men to eat anything if she threatened them.  She was definitely someone he never wanted to cross.

 "It's not always a good talent, you know.  For example, my skills of compromise are almost nonexistent.  Also, people are afraid of me."

"Yes, but when people are afraid of you, they leave you alone.  There are quite a few people I wish I could scare off.  Four come to mind off the top of my head."

 "They aren't as afraid of me as I'd like," she replied.  "Maybe I'll instill a proper fear just before we graduate."

"Proper fear?"  Severus chuckled softly.  "We shall call you the human Boggart."

"How awful would that be?"  She laughed.  "If when someone saw a Boggart it turned into you."

He hummed thoughtfully.  "I suppose that would not be very comforting."

"No, I'd imagine not," she agreed, staring up at the sky which peered through the leaves of the tree above them. 

"Still," he said quietly, eyes closed almost wistfully, "I do wish I could intimidate those four enough to make them leave me alone."

 "They're ignorant.  I just try to avoid them when I can, though it's hardly possible all the time."

"I believe they intentionally seek out Slytherins just to torment us."

 "Oh, they do.  Somehow they think they're entitled to because we're so prejudiced.  Wonder if any of them've looked in a mirror lately."

"I do hope not.  They would break the mirror," he snorted.

 She laughed a bit.

He smiled at the girl.  "I do know what you mean though.  We may be traditional in our ways of regarding blood-lines, but anyone who does not think like they do is evil.  It is ridiculous."

 "Agreed."  The smile made that mysterious something in the pit of her stomach flutter up again, and she attempted to squelch it with little success.

A few hours later, Severus was in his rented room, standing over a small cauldron.  He used the stone hearth of the fireplace to build his small fire, bringing the contents to a boil.  A small smile played on his lips, though it was entirely unconscious and his look was one of utter concentration.

 Lyria, covered in the lunch that her rabid toddler charge had decided he "didn't like" (despite having eaten it on quite a few previous occasions), wandered upstairs to see what Severus was doing, but she stopped in the doorway to just watch for a minute.  It probably wouldn't be wise to distract him, and furthermore, it was a bit fun to just watch.

Eryk was trying to find Lyria, as the toddler from hell was at it again.  He saw her in the hall and was going to call to her, except she appeared to be watching something.  Or someone, he thought, realizing that she was standing in the doorway of the Snape boy's room.  Sneaking up behind his baby sister, he covered her eyes with his hands, whispering in her ear.  "Guess who."

 "Because I wouldn't be able to identify my brother's voice by the time I'm sixteen," she said dryly.  "Hello, Eryk."

He smiled and released his sister, spinning her so she faced him.  "Hello Edme."  Curios, he peeked into the room to see what she had found so fascinating.  He was a little surprised when he saw the boy brewing a potion.

 "Come on, I'm glad to see you."  She tugged his arm lightly but firmly, leading him away from the room.  "You're back."

"Hmmm?" He let himself be pulled away, making a note to ask her about the boy.  "Yes, I return to find our favourite tenant making a mess of the garden."

 "Oh, he's out there now making a mess, is he?  He just threw his lunch at me."

"I was wondering why you looked like you had an accident in the kitchen."

 "No accident.  Just our resident disaster."

"Is there anything, short of killing him, that you can do about him?"

 "Severus offered to make a sedative, but I still think killing him is the only surefire way to make him knock it off."

Eryk arched an eyebrow.  "Severus is it?"

 "Yes.  I know him from school, Eryk, of course I call him by first name."  But she was clearly blushing.

"Now, I know there are at least 200 other students at that school.  I've never heard you refer to any of them by their first names.  I don't imagine you watch any of them brew potions either."

 "I wasn't watching him, I'd come upstairs to - see if he needed anything, and I decided not to bother him.  I had just gotten there."

Eryk pulled her into one of the empty rooms, taking the conversation out of the hall, and away from the possibility of them being overheard.  "Then why were you blushing, Edme?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."  The blush had returned.  Damnit, he would notice.  But this was Eryk, maybe she could talk to him about it.

"You know," he smiled kindly, "that would be more believable if you were not blushing again."

 "Well... so maybe I fancy him, what if I do?  Doesn't seem to me that there's a law against that in this house."

He nodded, not really in agreement, more as a show of listening to her.  "So, do you fancy him?"

"I think so.  It's really the only thing I can figure - it's just all completely new to me."

Taking Lyria by the hand, he led her to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, pulling her down with him.  This had the potential to be a long talk.  "Well, how does he make you feel?"

 "Well... I can talk to him.  He doesn't judge me for saying things, and we have things in common.  Eryk, you saw me standing there like an idiot, he makes me blush."

He considered carefully what his sister was saying, waiting until she was finished to say anything.  "Well, Little One, it does sound like you fancy him."

 "You don't seem thrilled," she noted.

"I am just worried about you, Lyri.  What do you know about the boy?"

 "He's a good boy, Eryk.  Do you really think I'd fancy him if he wasn't?"

He kissed his little sister on the top of her head.  "You are a smart girl, Edme, but sometimes it is difficult to be logical about who we fall for."

 "Words of wisdom from the only one of my brothers to successfully find a decent girl," she said dryly.

"Do you know how many tries it took me to find the right one?" he laughed.  "Believe me, it wasn't easy.  Besides, she did not have the added pressure of four older brothers and an over protective father to impress."

 "We aren't seeing each other, we're just friends," Lyria said quickly, not wanting word of this leaking out to her other brothers - particularly not to the twins.  They were around too much.

"Lass, you know that won't make a stitch of difference to Father."  He shook his head.  If only she could have waited until the school year to decide that she liked the boy.  It would have been easier, for Snape at least.  Eryk almost pitied the boy.

 "Well he hasn't noticed, so clearly he doesn't need to know," Lyria said, but there was a hint of something like pleading in her tone.  If Eryk talked to Dad, Dad would talk to Sev, and that would be possibly the most embarrassing discussion in her family's history.

"Lyria," he said, very seriously, "you cannot keep it from him forever.  He'll have to find out eventually."

 "Not if nothing comes of it," she muttered.

Eryk took a good, long look at his sister.  Finally, he came to a decision.  "I will not inform Father yet.  However, if you don't tell him before you leave for school, I'll tell him."

 She just nodded.  Yes, that'd do nicely; with any luck, Eryk would forget long before then.

"Good then, we have a deal."  Giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he stood up, stretching.  "Now, if you don't mind, I have landscaping to restore."

 "Could you lop the little brat's head off with one of your shrubbing tools or something?  I bet we could convince his mother it was an accident."

Eryk just shook his head, laughing as he left her sitting in the room.

 She got up and went back to the room she'd been peering in before, this time knocking softly on the partially open door.

Severus looked up from bottling a violently pink potion and smiled at Lyria.  "You have impeccable timing.  I've just finished."

 She smiled.  "Well good.  I wouldn't have wanted to disturb you."

"I would not have minded."  He set down the ladle and gestured for her to enter.

 She did so, sitting on the edge of the bed.  "Didn't take you long to devise something, did it?"  She smiled a bit.

"Well, no," he blushed.  He understood the properties of the ingredients so well that it was never difficult to tweak a potion to make it work just a little differently.

 "I didn't expect it would.  You've rather a gift, you know." 

He looked down, under the pretense of putting a stopper in the vial.  If she did not stop, he would be perpetually red as a Gryffindor banner.  "I just study a lot," he mumbled.

 "Whatever it is, thank you for making use of it."

"My pleasure," he replied sincerely.  He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her.  "One quarter of the vial will take effect in ten minutes and last for five hours.  You can double it, making it work in five minutes and last for ten hours.  However, I am not sure what the effects would be if you gave a dose larger than double."

 "Maybe we'd knock him out permanently," she laughed.  "Better not, though."

"Well..." he grinned, "it would give me a reason to work on an antidote."

 She laughed again.  "And five or ten minutes later, you'd have it figured out.  He'd be fine within an hour."

Severus bit his lip, blushing again.  "Well, it may take a little more time than that."

 "Maybe."  But the fact that he was blushing was encouraging.  Perhaps - just perhaps - he fancied her, too.  The thought really hadn't crossed her mind.  Or perhaps he just wasn't used to praise - she mustn't go reading anything into it.

"So," he said quietly, "when would you like to attempt to administer it?"

 "Probably over dinner, I can make him something special for dessert - no one'd object because he's the only child staying with us right now - and get it to him that way."

Thinking for a moment, he nodded.  "Sugar will be fine, though try to avoid anything too acidic.  Most fruit juices might change the properties of the potion."

"I can handle that."

"It is probably a moot point.  I doubt that child would eat anything that vaguely resembled something healthy."

 She laughed.  "Agreed.  His vegetables usually land all over the floor - he tried to feed Brussels sprouts to one of the owls once.  It nearly choked to death."

"Poor bird."

 There was a moment's silence.  "Eryk's got to fix the wreckage in the garden.  After the little cretin tossed his lunch at me he ran out there."

It was not until Lyria said that, that Severus even noticed the food all over her.  "What time is it?"

 "Er, maybe two?  I talked to Eryk for a while."

"Ah, okay.  Sorry, I tend to lose track of time when brewing."

 "Not a problem.  You certainly seemed to be pretty intently focused -"  She cut herself off.  Oh, shit.  Now she'd have to admit she'd been watching...

"You saw me?"  He was certain he had looked like an idiot.  How could he not have noticed her in the room?

 "I just stood in the doorway a minute, Eryk wasn't upstairs yet," she said.  There, maybe it would sound like she'd been waiting for her brother.

"Oh, okay," he frowned, still puzzled, but he accepted her answer.  Mostly, he was relieved that there was a good reason for him not to have noticed her.

 She smiled a little bit.

Grasping at a change of topic, he recalled what she had said previously about her brother.  "He is fixing the garden?  Do you know how badly it was damaged?"

 She shook her head no.  "Eryk'll set it to rights, though, I'm sure of that.  He's brilliant at that sort of thing."

"Did he study Herbology, or is it just a general 'good around the house' sort of thing?" Severus asked, interested.

 "Both.  He knows enough about Herbology for two people - guess he stole all the information I was supposed to retain," she joked.  "But that doesn't help him with the rest of the upkeep.  He does the carpentry because he was trained to, but he can fix just about anything."

"It must be nice to have him around to do that work."  Thinking of his own family, he realized that it was the brother closest to his own age that did most of the work around the house.  "I was always awful at the more labour intensive chores," he admitted.

 "I can do some of it, but as the girl, they just won't hear that."

"Well, that is rotten."

 "I don't squawk too loud," she admitted.  "That way they don't expect that of me, too."

He smiled, and laughed a little.  "Before, I thought you were brilliant, now I know it is true."

 She laughed but blushed a bit.  "Thank you."

"Certainly, it is only the truth."  He smiled, enjoying being able to make her blush.  She was... cute when she did.  Oh dear, he thought to himself.  I had better never say that out loud.

 The red deepened.  "I don't know how I feel about you being able to make me blush at just the littlest compliment," she said.  Oh God, that had almost sounded like flirting to her ears.

"I could say the same to you, you know."  He smiled and carefully brushed a stray hair away from her face.  "I imagine it has its merits."

 "I suppose it does," she replied, still smiling.

"When I think of one of them I'll let you know," he grinned.

 She laughed.  "Likewise."  He must, he had to fancy her too, but she couldn't say anything... honestly, she was a filthy little coward, she thought to herself.

"Would you like me to start dinner?" he offered.  "That way you can get cleaned up."

 "That'd really be nice of you, thank you."

"You are welcome."  He felt the heat rise, and knew his cheeks had turned pink.   This was bad, if he could not even accept a simple thanks without blushing.

 She got up.  Yes, best get out of there quickly.  "I'll be down in a few minutes."


	4. Chapter 4

Lyria peered into the room. "Fancy doing a bit of homework" She asked, in a surprisingly good mood this morning.

Severus looked up from the book he was reading and smiled at the young woman. "Of course, I'd love to." He set the book aside and made room for Lyria on his bed, hoping she would be comfortable enough to join him there. It had not been at all comfortable when they had tried to study on the floor.

She did so, sitting on the bed and setting her books down next to her. "The Coopers left this morning. I could sing."

"I would like to hear that" he replied with a grin. "Too bad I could not use up all of the potion, though. I suppose I'll just have to save it for an emergency."

"Oh don't worry, they'll be back" she said dryly. "And if worse comes to worst, you can use it on my brothers."

He chuckled softly. "Which ones" At some point during his stay, she had complained about each of her brothers.

"Oliver and Zack, mostly. As you've gathered, Dylan's not around much, and Eryk's too useful to be rid of, unfortunately." She grinned.

"Oh, Lyria, I like the twins, though." He snorted at her expression and his own became the picture of innocence. "What would you like to study today"

"You would like them" she said, still smiling. She wondered sometimes what it was about him that seemed to put her in that perpetual good mood. Perhaps it was just related to the fact that she fancied him a bit. "Um, I suppose we could do DADA today."

"The assignment is Dark Creatures, is it not" He gave a thoughtful frown. Dark magic interested him, but Dark Creatures were something else entirely.

"Mm-hmm. Not so much my particular interest, but then again, they don't consult with me when they assign homework." She smirked. "Perhaps they ought to."

The boy giggled softly. "Oh yes, I can just see it. Today's Defense assignment is how to combat the vicious five-year-old."

"It'd be practical. That child is the darkest creature I've ever encountered face to face."

"I say we pit him against a Basilisk and see who comes out the victor."

"I say we might not want to know" she replied with a grin.

"I am actually afraid they would join forces." He shuddered at the thought.

"That'd be my luck, wouldn't it? Though honestly I'd rather have a Basilisk loose in the inn than him."

Shaking his head, Severus climb off his bed long enough to grab his textbook and parchment from his trunk. He sat back on the bed, and opened to the chapter on Dark Creatures. To his horror, a full grown werewolf growled back at him from the pages.

"Oh, that's splendid" Lyria remarked.

"That is" he grimaced as a string of drool dripped from the creature's mouth. "Disgusting," he finished.

"That's an awfully nice word to use" she replied.

"Well..." he flipped to the first page of text"I suppose he is human 352 days per year."

She nodded. "I suppose so. It doesn't make the picture any nicer."

"No, not especially" he agreed.

From outside the door, Eryk stood, listening to their conversation and watching them. He did not like how close they were sitting, and would have said something if he did not want to see how this would progress. He felt a bit like a voyeur, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind, telling himself that he was doing this for his baby sister.

"Oh well, I suppose the best thing to do about it is hope not to encounter one any closer than that." She shrugged.

"I whole heartedly agree" he nodded enthusiastically. "So, where do we start"

"Skimming the chapter and hoping there aren't any particularly graphic pictures, I suppose."

Rolling his eyes, Severus poked her lightly with the tip of his quill. "Fat lot of help you are." He searched through his summer syllabus and found the assignment. "15 inches on one beast of our choosing."

She poked back and stuck her tongue out at him, not much caring that it was immature.

With a grin and a laugh, he pushed her book closer to her. "Here, do something productive."

"Well fine then" she laughed. Perhaps she'd get over that fluttery feeling yet... or perhaps she was just getting used to it.

Before too long, Severus was finished with his reading and starting an essay on the lethifold.

Lyria, meanwhile, flipped through pages to find further information on the yeti. "Not all that difficult, really, just fifteen inches" she commented absently.

He nodded, unthinkingly, in accord. "The assignments are easier this year, I think."

"Either that or we got used to insane amounts of work last year."

"That could also be the case." He tapped the feather of his quill against the parchment, sending little splotches of ink flying over his clothes.

"You went and made a mess" she noted.

"Oh" he mumbled, looking down at his shirt. "I've done worse" he sighed and went back to his essay.

"Agreed. There was the time you threw a cup of oil at an innocent girl who was making you biscuits."

He finished his line with a bit of a flourish and set all of his things on the floor before retaliating. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"No? That was after you bludgeoned her with sugar." She grinned.

"Are- are you certain" he asked, mocking confusion. "I would never have done such a thing."

"Oh yes, quite certain" she smirked.

"Well, she must have done something to deserve it. I am a pacifist, you know."

"Oh are you now" She laughed. "Well not this girl, she's just kind and sweet-tempered as anything."

With a smirk, he gave Lyria a playful and gentle shove. "I just cannot believe that I would hit a girl without reason."

She shoved back, still laughing. "I believe it, you wretched boy."

"Wretched boy, am I? Well, this wretched boy will just take his potion and go somewhere else with it."

"Go on. Take your potion and your ability to make me blush and shoo" she teased.

He made a decent wounded puppy face and moved closer to Lyria. "You don't really want me to go, do you" he pouted.

"Certainly not, I've gone and gotten used to you."

"Well, good" he grinned. "Because I rather like being here."

She smiled, but knew she was blushing a bit. "Good."

"Lyria, you really do need to make this more of a challenge for me." He smiled and lightly touched one reddened cheek.

"I suppose I'm really not putting up much of a fight, am I"

"No" he said softly"not much of one at all."

She looked up at him, still smiling a bit despite the blush that persistently refused to fade.

Lifting his other arm, he wrapped it around the girl's shoulders and pulled her slowly into a hug. It was affectionate but without seeming familial. The irrational part of him wanted more than this chaste show of emotion, but the sensible part of him held back, not wanting to rush things. Whatever those "things" were.

She returned the hug. Yes, that was best - anything further would just complicate matters, and with Eryk able to hold the threat of ratting out her feelings to her father, it was best not to fuel the fire. Hugging was safe.

In the hallway, Eryk was trying desperately to restrain himself. That boy was touching his sister. Creeping down the stairs, he went outside and began to work on the yard, trying to purge his mind of the image. Thinking better of it, Eryk went back into the house. With the sense of awe that still overcame him, he knocked softly on the door of his father's study.

"Come in" Angus called, not troubling himself to get up. It was likely one of the boys. The study was an orderly room, mostly functional with just a few personal items. The two most obvious items sat on the desk; one was a wedding photo, and the other was a photo of Lyria at perhaps seven year old, pigtails in her hair and sitting on her father's lap.

Stepping into the study, Eryk bowed respectfully to his father after closing the door behind him. "Good afternoon, Father."

"Afternoon, Eryk. Have a seat, what's troubling you" Angus asked, pushing away whatever it was he was working on a bit.

He sat on the far side of the desk, never having felt as comfortable around the older man as the baby of the family did. Speaking of Lyria... "It is about Edme and the boy who has been staying here."

If Eryk's entrance hadn't gotten his complete attention, Angus was instantly focused on the conversation at hand. "What about them" He growled.

"She fancies him, Father. I wanted her to tell you as soon as she found out, but she did not want to. I saw them together upstairs. They seemed close."

He sat back in the chair. "Did they now" This simply wouldn't do.

He nodded silently, wondering what the patriarch would do.

"And you say she fancies him." Angus contemplated various ways to handle this situation. The one that most appealed to him at the moment was ripping the boy into tiny pieces for ever daring to look at his daughter, but it was probably not the wisest course of action.

"Yes. She and I had a very serious discussion." He did not like getting them into trouble, especially not his sister, but there was no chance he could not tell his Father what was going on.

"What precisely did this discussion reveal"

"Nothing much, sir. She just mentioned that she likes him and thinks he is a good person."

"I don't like it" Angus said sharply. "I don't like her fancying boys, and I don't like what that boy comes from. I certainly don't like the amount of time I've allowed them to spend behind closed doors."

Eryk was a little confused. "What he comes from" Surely his father could not mean he would hold the Snape legacy against the boy. They were still an old pure-blood family after all.

"I don't know enough about the boy to say he isn't like his family."

"I do trust Lyri enough to believe that she would not like him if she thought he was dabbling in the Dark Arts."

"He may not be now but acorns don't fall far from trees, now do they"

"Well, that does remain to be seen. Oli and Zack seem as far from the tree as is humanly possible."

"They'll come around."

He shook his head, disagreeing with his father. "I know you do not like the situation. I do not like it either. Just don't be too hard on him."

"Don't be too hard on him? At the moment I think I'd quite like to kill him and ship him straight back to his parents."

"Lyria is sixteen, Father. She had her say in this too."

"Lyria is still very much a child, and she's damn well going to stay that way" he snarled.

He wanted to laugh at his father, but that would have been rather dangerous, so he said and did nothing. It could be very difficult to reason with the man and it had only gotten worse since their mother had died.

"I should have locked her in a dungeon... I could have built one. Put it right in the cellar, lock her up when she's home, dress her in five or six layers at school."

That was it, Eryk, for good or for ill, laughed at his father. "She would have fought you tooth and nail the entire time, Father." Lock that one up in a dungeon indeed.

"Not if I'd started it when she was young enough" Angus replied. "When she was eleven or twelve and still thought I was some form of deity." He sighed. "She's vulnerable right now, Eryk. Her more than any of you boys, and you know that. There are at least a hundred reasons why she shouldn't fancy that particular boy at this particular time."

"Who knows" he replied thoughtfully"perhaps our Lyri will be a good influence on him, instead of him being a bad one on her."

"I don't much care about him" Angus replied. "She's dealt with far too much this summer to be fussing over boys now. She has too much responsibility anyway." Yes, that was it; he could keep her busy enough that she didn't have time to dote on some sixteen year old idiot boy... any sixteen year old idiot boy.

"Oh, about that. He has been helping her, you know. She has had more time to spend with him because he is helping her around the inn, especially in the kitchen."

He scowled. "Perfect. They spend all their time together then. Just precisely what I want."

If that was not sarcasm, then Eryk had never heard it before. "What are you going to do, short of killing him that is"

"I'm going to call him in here and we'll have a little chat."

"I almost feel badly for him."

"You, meanwhile, are going to have a chat with your sister as to how she is to behave around boys. Clearly she talks to you now that she hasn't got her mother to talk with."

"What would you have me tell her? 'Avoid them like the plague.'"

"Yes, but short of that you'll discuss why she needs to keep a certain distance and what'll happen to her reputation if she's not mindful."

"Yes, Father." Eryk was not looking forward to it, but he would not disobey his father.

"Good. Go on."

Nodding briefly, he was out the door quickly and off to his room, planning what he would say to his sister.

Angus left the study, going upstairs to room twelve. He was sorely tempted to yank Lyria out of the room by the ears upon seeing the pair of them sitting that close together on the bed, but he managed to stop himself. "Severus, could I borrow you downstairs for just a moment"

Looking up at the patriarch with a bit of fear, Severus nodded. "Of course, Sir." Barely glancing back at Lyria, Severus followed the older man out of the room.

Lyria immediately ran up to Eryk's room, quickly putting together what had happened. "ERYK"

Angus led the way to his study, holding open the door for the boy. "Have a seat."

Nodding, the young Slytherin sat where Eryk had just sat only minutes ago.

Angus sat at the desk, noticing the photograph where his seven year old daughter waved out at him. It would have been so much easier if she'd stayed that way. "I understand you and Lyria have gotten a bit fond of each other."

"Yes, Sir" he replied. "We are good friends now, better than we had been before in school."

"Friends indeed" Angus snorted. "Lyria's hardly the type to be giving and receiving hugs - nor blushing furiously in the presence of - those she considers merely her friends" he said. "She fancies you and you are well aware of it."

Severus looked shocked. "I swear to you, I had no idea that she fancied me. I don't know what I thought, but it was not that."

"Well now you do know, so the question is what you plan to do about it."

He gulped, nervous and on the spot. He had never before considered what he would do if someone fancied him. "I respect her, sir. I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Damn right you won't" Angus snapped. "Let me make this very clear, boy. I know far less about you than I'd like, and knowing my little one fancies you means that I will find many, many things to dislike about you. Should you hurt her or in any way dirty her reputation, you can rest assured that your family line will not be continued through you."

Severus bit back the emotional response that was his natural reaction when confronted like this. Instead he just replied meekly. "Of course, sir, I understand."

"She's a good girl and you're fortunate to have attracted her attention. See that you deserve it."

"I'll do my best."

"You may go."

"Yes, sir." Severus nodded respectfully and turned to leave.

Angus watched the boy.

When he was outside the door, Severus breathed a sigh of relief and ran as quickly as he could back to his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Lyria sighed. Maybe, just maybe, her father hadn't scared Sev so badly that he was going to just take off... she knocked on the door tentatively.

Severus sat on his trunk at the foot of his bed, his head in his hands. He did not know what he had done wrong and he did not know how to change his behaviour. Did Lyria really fancy him"Come in" he mumbled, not wanting to move.

She pushed open the door. "Hello."

Looking up, Severus smiled weakly. "Hello."

"Nice to see you emerged from the office in one piece" she tried to joke. The trouble was there was too much truth to it for it to really be funny.

He nodded, unable to laugh at her attempt at humour. "Do you want to sit" He asked politely.

She did so. "Thank you." There was silence, not the nice companionable silence that usually existed, but a thick awkward one. Lyria squirmed a bit.

"So" he cleared his throat. "Where did you go after your father called me"

"I had a little... chat with Eryk" she said, eyes narrowing a bit. She'd walloped the idiot good, and from the looks of it she'd been entitled to.

He nodded, not really hearing what she said, too worried that somehow Mister MacLaren would find out that she was in his room.

"Did... er, your talk with Dad go alright"

"I guess" he frowned. "Do, um... you don't fancy me do you"

She blushed violently red. "And what if I do" She mumbled.

He shrugged, not really having a good response. "Your father seemed to think that you do. I don't think he wants me around you, Lyria."

"No, he wouldn't, because he likes to think I'm seven."

"Like the photograph he has of you in his office..."

"Exactly. But I'm not seven, I'm sixteen and if I fancy a boy he should keep his nose out of it."

"I am sorry, I just..." he frowned and looked down at the floor, not knowing what to say to the girl. It was hard enough sometimes when he had thought them just friends. It was next to impossible now that he knew she was interested in him.

"It's fine" she said quickly, not wanting to talk about it. "I'll... be back in a minute." She got up, leaving the room, and went back upstairs to her brother's room, knocking on the door.

Eryk sat at his desk, a cooling charm over his eye as he tried to reduce the mark that he knew would be there later. His baby sister had a great left hook. "Come in" he called, wincing a little as he tried to reach for his wand.

The door flew open so hard it nearly flew clean off the hinges, and Lyria kicked his shin, hard. "You IDIOT"

"YEEEOWW" That would leave a mark. "What is your problem, woman? It is not enough that you blacken my eye, you have to make me lame as well"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do! Courtesy of YOUR discussion with our father, Severus is acting like he hardly knows me! So you can march back downstairs and tell Father you were hallucinating for all I care, but YOU ARE GOING TO FIX IT"

"Lass, I am not going to tell Father I was hallucinating. I am not going to make excuses for you. I don't like that boy any more than father does."

"Well I'm not asking you to date him, now am I? However, I'm starting to think I might like to, except you two fouled everything up"

He glared at the girl. "I am not the one who was hugging him in his bed." He did not care at this point if she knew that he had been watching them. She needed to understand what would not be tolerated.

"I've given you a hug on your bed too and yet no one feels the need to ensure that we can't hold a conversation, though I'm starting to wish someone would"

"I am your brother, he is not. That is the difference. And no one said you need to be up here yelling at me."

"Well you ruined my summer, so I think I'm bloody well entitled to yell at you if I choose" she snapped. "See if I ever talk to you about anything important again."

He sighed, not liking how mad she was at him. "Edme, I am sorry, but I told you I would tell Father if you did not. It is almost time for you to return to school and he still did not know. I did try to convince him that you were old enough to fancy boys if you wanted to."

"You knew what he was going to do, and now Severus will hardly speak to me and it's entirely your fault" she snapped.

"At least the boy is still here, Lyri. Take what you can get."

"Yes, it's splendid, really, that we were very good friends and maybe we'd have been something more except now he's afraid if he says more than two words to me Dad's going to drop out of the sky and kill him." She scowled at him. "I'm leaving, I haven't much else to say to you."

"Edme, come here" he said softly, kindly. He did not want her to leave still mad at him.

"What now, would you like another way to foul everything up for me"

Standing, he walked over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on top of her head. Eryk did not care that she would most likely reject the affection. He just needed to show it. "I'll try to fix it, Edme. I won't lie to Father, but I'll do what I can."

She shoved him away and left the room without so much as another word to him. She didn't go downstairs to Sev's room, though; she knew she was still too angry and being there would only wind up with her being even more bothered. She went down the hall to her own room, where she closed - and locked - the door behind her.


End file.
